But space was always a problem, and it was finally decided to move the collection to the Musée Galliera. Over the years the museum’s reserves have swelled to include some 100,000 pieces from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Many are private donations, such as the wardrobe of Countess Greffulhe, who inspired Marcel Proust’s Duchesse de Guermantes. There are articles of clothing that belonged to Marie Antoinette, Empress Josephine, Napoleon, the Duchess of Windsor and Audrey Hepburn, as well as fashions by the great houses of the 19th and 20th centuries—Balenciaga, Pierre Balmain, Christian Dior, Paul Poiret, Yves Saint Laurent and so on. The museum boasts jewels, canes, hats, shoes, fans, undergarments, handbags and Sarah Bernhardt’s gloves, as well as a fine collection of graphic arts and fashion photography. And it continues to receive donations, such as a recent gift of Lanvin pieces from designer Alber Elbaz. Like any clotheshorse whose closet is getting full, the museum politely turns down items that are less than spectacular. In 2009, the Galliera shut its doors for renovations, mainly to bring its infrastructure up to safety codes and make it wheelchair-accessible. A year later, Olivier Saillard became the new director and decided to take advantage of the closing to restore the building’s interior to its original appearance. The aesthetic modifications are small but important, notably the Pompeii-red walls, which had been painted beige. Once hidden, the wooden baseboards are now exposed and painted black. The overall effect is rich and colorful, re-creating the drama of its early days. As Saillard explains, “I never understood why there were painted ceilings, mosaics on the floor and no communication between the two.”
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